by HRHQ Editorial Team
A new report – Fostering Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace – sheds light on the specific challenges faced by ethnic minority individuals when accessing employment and advancing within Ireland’s labour market. The report, commissioned by Bank of Ireland and produced by Morgan McKinley, includes a range of recommendations to help overcome these barriers.
The report draws on the experiences of over 2,700 individuals from 10 ethnic minority groups, with additional input from advocacy groups, community organisations, and employers. The topics examined include employment challenges experienced by ethnic minority groups such as discrimination, cultural factors, and the recognition of qualifications.
Almost a quarter of the population in Ireland is comprised of people who are ethnically diverse, and one in five Irish residents were born outside Ireland. With an overall unemployment rate of 3.9% (February 2025), indicating a tight labour market, the report highlights practical steps employers can take to ensure that the potential of the working-age population from ethnic minority groups is fully realised. If taken, these steps should benefit the individual, their employer, and the economy and wider society.
The report highlights that barriers to maximising this available workforce from ethnic minority groups persist across a range of areas.
The main industry sectors in which people who have stated in the survey that they have come to Ireland to work are employed are Information Technology (22%), Financial Services (15%), Manufacturing (9%), Healthcare (5%) and Education (5%). Of this group, 32% required an employment permit.
Bank of Ireland and Morgan McKinley’s “Fostering Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace” is available here.
